Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin is one of those books that you start reading and can't stop.  The book is about Jason, a 12 year old autistic boy who likes a girl that he met online.  The author does an amazing job of getting inside the head of her character and letting the reader understand the world from his point of view.  Jason is not typical and when you begin reading, you may think you and he have nothing in common.  However as you continue to read, you find out you really aren't that different from Jason.  If you've ever worried about fitting in, or how other people think about you, this is a wonderful read.

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro

The Shadows by Jacqueline West

The Shadows by Jacqueline West is the first book in a new series, The Books of Elsewhere.  I really enjoyed this book.  The main character, Olive moves into a new home on Linden Street with her super smart, mathematician parents.  The McMartin's were the former owners of the home, and they've left behind all of their furniture and their three cats.  Olive soon finds out this is not a normal house and there is absolutely nothing normal about the strange paintings that hang on the walls and refuse to be removed.  And wait, did something just move inside that picture???  Follow Olive into a new world, Elsewhere... if you dare.

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro

The Books of Elsewhere first book is The Shadows.  It is a book that will have you at the edge of your seat biting off all your nails down to the nub just to find out what happens next. When Olive Dunwoody moves into a large, stone house on Linden Street, she finds out the house is keeping secrets. She also finds out about the three cats and the paintings that won’t come off the walls in the hallway! And what about everything else in this house? Or what about Elsewhere?  Like it says on the back of the book, “This house is keeping secrets . . . be careful where you look!”

Reviewed by parrotcarrots